Highway guard rail



Sept 22, 1931. J. H. RAMSEY ET AL HIGHWAY GUARD RAIL Filed Oct. 3, 1930 s Sheets-Sheet; 1

A TTORNEY J. H. RAMSEY ET AL SeptZZ, 1931.

w v HIGHWAY GUARD RAIL Filed Oct. 3, 1930 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Pia/M" 7 ATTORNEY Sept. 22, 1931. J. H. RAMSEY ET AL HIGHWAY GUARD RAIL Filed 001:. 3, 1930 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 A TTORNEY Patented Sept. 22, 1931 rAssAc r'Us zmrs; 'sainasnonr AssI'GNoR'j'ro' j f IIIIIGHWAY"GUA RDIRAIL Application filed em ers, 1930; semi noi4ae,o 'zo.=

This invention relates toguard rails .einployed for the protection 'ot; motorists on highways and more'particul'arly to an improved device for supportingtlie guard rail.

1 Guard railshave become: a necessary adjunct of highways, more especially since the advent of hard surfaced roads, 7 permitting travel in automobiles at relatively high.

speeds. The earlier types of guardv rails w consisted. of posts 10f, wood with openings through which Wire cables were "drawn, the cables being anchored at their ends.

This construction permitted a portion of each post to project beyond .fthe guard 5 rail toward the highway. The posts were struck frequentlyby' projecting parts of: automobiles, and consequently an improvement ii'as developed" in'ivhich the cables were secured to the, posts hook-bolts. These gel-volts. like ise projected beyond the cables and afforded obstacles which were likely to be struck by fenders hub-capS, andt-he rims of automobile wheel's-i- Since the'introduo tion of balloon tires;the destructive effect of the sharp edges ottherims has been par ticularly notable. because the relatively soft tires are easily deflected and the sharp'rims oi'ten strike 'thc unprotected hook-bolts with sufiicient. force to; damage'the steering gear 9 of'the automobile Withconsequent liability of serious accident to the occupants of the automobile. I r I It is the object of the present invention to provide a'simple, inexpensive and cfiective device for suprmrting guard rails which is adapted to deflect, any projecting part of an automobile Whichmay happento strike it, and thus to reduce the force of any blow, thereby protecting the automobile, thesupeo. porting device th'e guard rail and support ing posts and increasing the effective life thereof. f f

Other objects and advantages of the'i-nvention Willibe apparentas it is better un derstood. by rcference to the following specification and accompanying which: i

Fig. 1 is an elevation of two posts and cables secured thereto by devices embodying the invention; 7

drawings 1n oi another :form of the deviceyancl i U-bcilt which: embraces the. roadside surface F igi 2.: on; an enlarged scale-is aside vievvof 1 one; of theposts, and shows-therelationof a \vhee'lthereto; 1' 1 S Fig. 3:.is a sectional' view through a'post, and shows-:aportionof one of the cables and 55 onset the devices for'securing-thecable to ithe post-,4 and also: shows dotted. and full line positions" the: wheel approaching oneofithe brackets and deflectedthereb/y 1 Fig; 4E onff an; enlarged; scale-is perspective viewofone formotthedevicm i Fi gs'. 5 and Gare plan and sidevviewsg'of an other-forniofxth'e device; 1 l Figs.l7, 8: and 9 areplangside and endviews Figs. 10; t1 and :12 are-plan end-and side I viewsof stillanother fomn oh the device; be

Referring to the? drawings;T 1" designates posts of Concrete- 01" othei' suitable material: carrying guardrails,"- in -the,,-prese*nt: instance 1 "m inthe form of strong cables?) secured to the posts by 4 devices in "the form: of brackets v5 preferably comprising, 1 u shape'ol unembers adapted to embrace the cables, spacing members onset-idles adapted.to hold'itheccabl'es in spaced relation-to-the posts iand' cam or-dc fleeting surfaces adapted'to:divert awayfroin the cables and tl ieir supporting device's any body such as a part =OfI-2II1S automobile 'sliding along the cable s-rand comingin: contact with the'brackets v The form oi-the invention shown, in; Figs. 1 to 4 comprises-a U boltiprojectingbeyond and embracing; the roadsideslurface of: the cable. and'having legs 9 ;adaptedto extend through the post, the. endsaof said legs being threadedto receive nuts ll', One the legs may be shorter than the other, so that the IU- shaped'fmember will bei'nj the form'o f a hook bolt; thecurved end of which adapted to to embrace the'cable. f The cable is held n spaced relatiori' 'toj the post by a sa'ddleldliaving Wedge-shapedfeet lf5 adapted tobiteinto and firmly e'ngazge the post; This saddle has a channeli lii forreceiving jthe cabl'e, and at opposite sidesz of the channelareholes19*througlfiwhielr the legs oi the U -'b'elt extend; Te .fprev ent parts; of an automobile fromstrikingqtheportion.o tl

of the cable, the saddle is formed to provide cam or deflecting surfaces 21. The construction is such that the wheel of an automobile sliding along the cable to the bracket will be deflected by said cam surfaces away from the cable, thereby facilitating steering of the automobile in a direction of approach toward the highway. This will materially reduce the liability of damage to the steering gear of the automobile and reduc'ethe liability of injury to the cables and posts. V

The form of the device shown in Figs. 5 and 6, comprises a saddle 23 having a base 25'adapted to be securedto the post by lag screwsentered through holes in the base. A U-shaped member 27 embraces the cable, and isxsecured to the saddle by a screw bolt 29 entered through registering holes in the saddle and member. Thea-saddle is formed to provide camor deflecting surfaces 81. Y

- The fOI'I'HIOf the device shown in Figs. 7, 8 and 9 iscrather similar to that shown in Figs. 5 and 6, and comprises a saddle 33, a U- shaped member 35', anda screw bolt 37 for securing the same to thesaddle. In this form the cam or deflecting surfaces 39 are on the U-shaped-member instead of on the saddle.

The formof the device shown in Figs. 10, 11 and 12 comprises a saddle 41 having feet 43 for receiving thepost between them. .At

. the outer end of the saddle are cam or deflect ing surfaces 45, and between them is a channel 47 for receiving the cable. Projecting from the channel to the feet are horizontal strengtheningribs 49, andextending from the channel 'to the feet are vertical strengthening ribs 51.

A U-shaped member or bolt 53 has a hook 55 embracing the cable, and itsend engages a stop 57v on the saddle, thereby preventing the hook from gripping the cable which is always free to slide in the saddle channel. The

bolt has a shank extending through the post and threaded to receive a nut 59.

The several forms of the device as described are manufacturedpreferably of suit able material, malleable iron castings or drop forgings being preferred because of their lightness, toughness, and the rust-resisting qualities of such metal.- The device may,

nevertheless, be made from other materials such as pressed sheet steel- In any of the forms described the supporting devices for guard railsare particularly effective in avoiding the transmission of destructive shocks to the posts and to the guard rail. Consequently the life of the guard rail is prolonged and the expenseof upkeep, which isanimportant factor at present in the mainfore are supported independently of the guard rails.

Various changes may be made in the details of construction and arrangement of the parts, without departing from the invention or sacrificing any of the advantages thereof.

hat is claimed is:

. 1. A support for a highway guard rail comprising a U-shaped member adapted to embrace a guard rail, and means co-operatsponding roadside surface of the guard rail,

fenders supported independently of the guard rail and arranged to divert objects from striking the sides of the member, and means 'for supporting the member and fenders in operative relationship to the guard rail and a supporting post.

4:. A support for a highway guard rail comprising means adapted to project beyond and embrace the roadside surface of, the guard rail, and'means associated therewith and supported independently of the guard rail for diverting a vehicle wheel from and preventing the same from striking the rail embracing means.

5. A support for a highway guard rail comprising means adapted to project beyond and embrace the roadside surface of the guard rail, anda fender supported independently of the guard rail presenting a cam surface for diverting a vehicle wheel from and preventing the same from striking the rail embracing means.

6. A support for a highway guard rail comprising a saddle having a channel for receiving a highway guard rail, and a bolt adapted to secure the saddle to a post and embrace and hold the guard rail in the channel, said saddle having strengthening ribs extending longitudinally thereof, and a deflecting surface for preventing a vehicle from striking the rail embracing portion of the bolt. J OSEPH H. RAMSEY.

CLEO ALVIN SHORT.

supports. The deflecting surfaces are inherent to' the devicesthemselves, and there- 

